Tornado sirens wailed this morning in several central and eastern Iowa counties as severe storms rolled across the state.
In Hamilton County, southbound traffic is being detoured off of Interstate 35 due to several semis having been knocked over by powerful winds.
Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Timmons says there were no serious injuries reported.
“About the 139 mile marker, which is the Kamrar exit, is currently closed,” Sheriff Timmons says. “We got multiple semis that are tipped over and we got powerlines across the road. We’re diverting traffic.”
Timmons says there’s damage to buildings in the county that was either caused by a small tornado or strong straight-line winds.
As yet, no tornadoes are confirmed in today’s storms.
MidAmerican Energy reported some 35,000 customers statewide were without power at the peak this morning, while Alliant Energy had another 12,000 customers in the dark.
According to reports to the National Weather Service, semis were also turned over on Interstate 29 in western Iowa, and in central Iowa on Highway 20, while trees were knocked down in several cities across the state including Ames, Des Moines, Indianola and Pella.
(By Pat Powers at KQWC in Webster City/Grant Gerlock at Iowa Public Radio )